Wheelchair Curling

Each team must include male and female players and a female athlete must be on the ice at all times. The team is made up of four players and a qualified alternate may be brought into play at the beginning of an end to substitute one of their teammates.

A team declares its delivery rotation, and the skip and vice-skip positions, prior to the start of a game and maintains that rotation and those positions throughout that game.

The object of the sport is to slide stones with handles across the ice, aiming for them to come to a stop on a target, called the house, which is marked by four concentric circles. The Lead delivers the first stone and the play continues with each athlete delivering two stones, alternating with the opposing team. Placing the stone inside the house means earning a possible point.

Two teams take turns to deliver stones down the ice attempting to get closer to the centre of the target or ‘house’ than their opponents. The team that places the most stones closest to the centre of the house wins the point.

The stones made for curling are made of smooth granite and must conform to very precise parameters: a circumference of 91.44cm and a height of not less than 11.43cm. The weight including the handle must not exceed 19.96kgs. Delivery of the stone may be undertaken by the conventional arm/hand release or by the use of an extender cue.

The sport is governed by the rules of the World Curling Federation (WCF) with one major modification for wheelchair curling – no sweeping is permitted.

Each game is played over eight ends with an extra end played should the teams be tied.